Toothbrush



June 15, 1948; 1 R. BREssLER TOOTHBRUSH Filed Feb. 8, i947 "ff @f IN VEN TOR. ass/b BYl Patented .inne 15, 1948 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE TOOTHfYBRUSH Louis It. Bressler, Southampton, Mass.

Application February 8, 1947, Serial No. 727,323

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-167) This invention relates to improvements in toothbrushes and is directed more particularly to toothbrushes having flexible bristle carrying head portions.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision of a toothbrush of the type shown and described in my application Serial Number 673,985, led June 3, 1946, now Patent No. 2,438,268, and the' novel features hereof pertain to resilient supporting means for yieldingly supporting a plurality of bristle carrying sections so that the head end of the brush may conform to the contour of the teeth when the brush is being used.

Toothbrushes of the type to which the invention relates are usually formed by a molding voperation and a spring-like member or members are disposed in the mold so that the material forming the brush and which is usually plastic surrounds the spring-like members, then sockets are provided and tufts of bristles are set in the sockets.

Considerable difculty is experienced in properly locating the spring-like member for the molding operation wherefor according to this invention, the spring-like member is so formed as to be readily adapted to engage positioning and supporting means therefor in the mold whereby in the molded brush the spring-like member is suitably and properly located in the head or bristle end of said brush.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a brush embodying the novel features of the invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are .plan and side elevational views respectively at an enlarged scale `of the head or bristle end of the brush to illustrate the novel features of the invention;

Fig, 4 is a sectional View on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

The brush of the invention generally includes a handle portion 2 and a head or bristle portion 4.

The bristle portion 4 includes a plurality of 2 bristle supporting sections 6, 8 and Ill from which extends tufts I2 of bristles which may be of any length and shape. Said tufts are represented by dotted linesI2 in Fig. 2. l v

'Ivhe sockets for the tufts are provided in the sectionsA in any well known manner` and may have any relative spacing and arrangement desired, thearrangement shown being merely for illustrative purposes.

A-spring-like member is .provided which in the preferred form of the invention is generally in the'form of a U having side arm portions I4 which are connected together at one end so as to form a loop I6 of relatively less distance apart than the portionsy I4.

Outer free ends of the side arms I4diverge at I8 and the extremities thereof are formed to provide eye portions 2t, all as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The eye portions 20 are arranged to receive locating pins which are placed in the molding die to locate the spring member in proper position in the mold cavity whereby in the molded toothbrush the spring is properly located in the head. The loop I6 also may receive a locating pin of the die.

The arrangement of the pins and the tufts or bristles is such that the tufts indicated by I2 or the sockets thereof are in register with the eyes 20 and also tufts indicated by I2" would be in register with the loop I6 of the spring. In this way the bristle head of the brush is not weakened and the spring is made to cooperate with the guide pins in the mold and the sockets for the bristles.

The spring member is resilient or yieldableand the bristle side of the head sections are somewhat curving as shown so that in use the bristles conform to the contour of the teeth. The sections may yield relative to one another in the brushing operation t0 bring about the bristles conforming to the teeth or arrangement thereof.

To insure that the flexibility takes place in the bristle end of the brush the handle portion 2 is stiiened or reinforced somewhat by a longitudinally extending rib 22 on one side thereof. That is, it is desired that the brush will be yieldable at the head end rather than in the handle portion thereof, and the handle is therefore somewhat reinforced so that the user has the advantages of the flexibility of the head.

Preferably in order to obtain the desired flexibility and insure against breakage, the spring is flattened from the loop end to the eyes 20. That is, it is generally tapering in thickness towards the eyes so as to be of greater thickness:

at the loop end than at the eye end. The side arms of the spring are of greater transverse i bodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claimsrathen than by the foregoing description, and al1 modifications and Variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the 'ap-- pended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A toothbrush construct-ion.- comprisingin combination, a handle-and a head includingV bristle supporting sectionsfwith 'connections spacing and connecting said sections, :tufts of bristlesin said sections arrangedA in outer rows extending longitudinally of said head, a spring-like member in the form of a U `having side 'arms extending'longitudinally of the head withv a restricted loop portion at one endthereof injthe section adjacent saidhandle in register with ak tuft', of bristlesY disposed intermediate `longitudinal sides of the head and said side armsziextending along and adjacent said tufts of` bristles ofthe outer 4 rows thereof, the other end of said side arms terminating in eyes in register with tufts of bristles of the outer rows thereof in the outermost section.

2. A toothbrush construction comprising in combination, a handle and a head including bristle supporting sections with connections spacing and connecting said sections, tufts of bristles in said sections arranged in outer rows extending longitudinally of said head, a spring-like member in theforrn of a U having side yarms extending longitudinally of the head with a restricted loop portion at one end thereof in the section adjacent said handle in register with a tuft of bristles disposed intermediate longitudinal sides of the head andv said side arms extending along and adjacent said tufts of bristles of the outer rows thereof, the other end of said side arms terminating in eyes in register with tufts oi bristles of the outer rows thereof in the outermostisection.- said 'handle provided with a reinforcing rihextending longitudinally of the `upper side-thereof toV stiien .saidhandlev and: kprevent flexing thereof whereby the sections-will flex relative toone another when the toothbrush-is innormal use.

LOUIS R.- BRESSLER.

REFERENCES'CITED The .following references:r are of record the nieu-o thisfpatentz' UNITED STATES PA"IEI`\TTS5*V Number 

